Thrust bearing



Dec. 15, 1931.

E. BROWN 1,836,065

THRUST BEARING Filed Aug. 16. 1927 parent to one skilled in the'artuponan unthe claims short of the true and-more comf ing in variousfeatures and details v'from those y Patented Dec. 15, 1931 U'Nlf'raiaSTATES f Y ERIC BROWN, or' BADEN, SWITZERLAND,AssIG'NoBA'roAnTIENGiisELDscHArT BROWN BovERI a CIE., or BADEN,SWITZERLAND, A. JOINT-STOCK COMPANY or swIT'zBB.-

LAND l .TIIBUs'r BEARING Application filed August '176, 1927,:Seria1No.`

This invention relatesto thrust bearings for supporting the thrust ofrotary machine parts.

The general object of the invention sth'e provision of a bearingconstructionparticulai-lyl adapted for taking extremely heavy Yloadingsand maintaining uniform distribution or equalization ofv the, bearingkpressures over the suifacesof the cooperating stationary and rotatingbearing members.

struction which will attain proper lubrication of the cooperatingbearing surfaces with certainty. y

A further object is 'the provision of a construction which will minimizewear on the load supporting portions and also 'permit replacement ofworn parts LWithout requiring the scrapping of the .entire bearing.

Other and further objects-,willbe pointed out orindicated hereinafter,or will be apderstanding of the invention or Vits employment inpractice. p

In the drawings 'forming a part of vthis specification certainstructural embodiments of the inventionare shown,but it is to beunderstood that these are presented for purpose of illustrationlonly,and arenot to be interpreted in any fashion calculated to limitprehensive scope of the invention in the art, as it may take otherstructural forms differhere shown.

In the drawings, Y

Fig. l is a section, taken longitudinally of the shaft, of a thrustbearing embodying the present improvements; 'Y

Fig. 2'is a part section, taken transversely of the shaft on line 2-2 ofFig. .1; and

Fig. Sis a detail inthe nature of a developed section taken on line 3 3of Fig. 2.

When very large axial bearing loads, sometimes amounting to manyhundreds of tons, must be supported, as for example in the rotatingparts of vertical shaft hydroelectric `flecture of the-ring.:

sets,the^be'aring surfacesmustbe of quite eX- tensive area. As a result,vany bending'of the points: of support causes .excessive vlocal strainsto be set up,and thus'the actualarea of the `bearing surface, V'aspredeterminedfby calculation, is not properlysutilized. The deflectionscaused by local overloading, :resulting from suoli circumstances,areparticular# lyl harmful'in their eectsduring'thestarting I andstoppingA4 ofv the machines It is yvery yimportant, therefore, that insuch bearings the stationary -bearing v'surface should "be constructed"and supported in such a way that it cooperatesfin'taling the load fromtliethrust 1 collar over its entire area at alltimespand tofac'complishthis the stationaryfbearing sur- Y l face mustv be arranged toprovi'defor autoinaticjequalization of load over its entiresurfac-e in bothradial :and \circumferentialv cli-gb rections.V The presenty inventionprovides for the accomplishment of this 4result by provision of aconstructionin.vvliichthe memberl or `members constituting therthrustreceiving member ofthe ,bearing arelsupportedion special supportingring, sustained bythe `bearing frame, which ringis ina single piece, i

is flexible and is disposedv approximatelycon- 'centric' withl theshaft." On. one 'side 'this Jiang-*receives thel thrust at' points whichare?` sp'acedlin-aplaiie perpendicular to theshaft, f and atfthe vothersidextransmitsthe resultant -of'tli'ese thruststothe bearing frame atpoints ilying midway between 4the radially spaced 'points on which4thethrust ivsreceived. ,'The -25 formgof the` structure bymeans ofwhich the result is attained is'thatof an infinite numberofv levers,loaded at their` ends-and,ful cruiiied at intermediate points, aboutwhich The reference numeral l0 designates: the

shaftivvhich` carriesthe thrust collarl 11,` K

forming the rotating bearing member, and the:n uiiieralv l2designatesthe bearing frame95 which constitutes ythe portion -whichsupports the thrust. rThe `collar Y11 rotates on :and @transmits thethrust vto :the Stationary bear- Ving' member 14,1 whichstation'ary'bear'ingmm .intermediate pointsmotion cantake place by to .membercooperating with said rotary memwofrel'atively movable sectors 14 whichsup! port the thrust collar on their upper surfaces and arethemselvessupported on the flexible ring 15', through the medium of two concentric rows of balls 19. Asbest seen in Fig. 3

the lower sides of the sectors 14 are cham#l Vered at Maand adjacentsectors have support on the samefintermediately disposed balls. Theseballs are retained in annular grooves 15l in the flexible ring 15, beingretained in proper relative spacing by a cage member 20.

.Specially hardened and replaceable inserts 21 are seated .in thesectors and the ring to aliord the bearingv surfaces for contact'withthe balls 1.9. `Cooperating stop members 22 on the sectors and thebearing frame prevent eXtensive travelotthe former, but allow a limitedentent iof movement in the direction 'of rotation, so that equalizingadjustment as between dililerent sectors can take place, the ballsactvvingV as equalizing-members for transmitting thismovement from onesector to another, and Abringing about the adjustment 1n elevation ofthe sectors by virtue of their cooperation with .thefchamfered portionsof the latter.'

The ring 15 has an amount of flexibility Sullicient to permit itstwisting to attain equalization in the radial directions, and the balls19 function as the radially spaced points of support through which thethrust is transmitted to the ring. The vvring is fulcrumed on the Y,frame through the projection 18", so that it may takethe rockingmovement in a radial direction; yIt will be observed, therefore, that byyvirtue of this arrangement, equalization of the load over the Ventirebearing surface is maintained automatically at all times in boththe'radial and circumferential directions.

p The bearing frame is encircled by a pipe 24 to which lubricant issupplied under'pressure by way of the connection 25, and the pipe 24supplies radially arranged distributingtubes 26, located betweenjuxtaposed sectors. These .distributing tubes are perforated to 'aiiiordsmall upwardly directed oriiices, through which the lubricant "isejected against the bearing surface of the thrust collar, and an'oililange 27 surrounds the bearing parts so as to maintain them immersed inlubricant. Y i

The equalizing ring may be made of steel,

preferably hardened spring steel.

, 4I claim: f

1. 1n a thrust bearing, a bearing frame, a

rotary-bearing member, a thrust-receiving ber, an annular member havinga fulcrum supported on said frame, and balls for spacingsaidthrust-receiving member from said annular member, said balls beingsupported on said annular member on opposite sides of theulcrumthereoi'. y

`2. In a thrustbearing, a bearing'frame, a rotary-bearing member, athrust-receiving member cooperating with said rotary member, an Vannularmember having a fulcrum supported on said iframe, balls for spacing saidthrust-receiving member from said annular member, said balls beingsupported on said annular member on opposite sidesoi' the :fulcrumVthereof, and'means Vfor maintaining said balls in relatively spacedarrangement. Y y

3. In a thrust bearing, a bearing frame, a

rotary-bearing member, a thrust-receiving member formed of relativelymovable 'sections cooperating with said rotary member, anannul'ar memberhaving a ulcruni supported'on said frame, balls for spacing saidthrust-receiving ,member from said annular member,ballswbeingvinterposed in sup porting relation between adjacentsectionsof said thrust-receiving member and on opposite. sides of the fulcrumof' said lvannular member. .l l i.

.4. In a thrustbearmg, a bearing frame, a rotary-bearing member, athrust-receiv1ng memberl formed of relativelyy movable sec-.

tions cooperating with said rotary; member, cachot1 said sections havingbeveled portions, an annular member having' a fulcrum supported on saidtrame, and balls for spacing said thrust-receiving member fronf saidannular member, said balls seating on theV beveled portions l of saidsections inV supporting relation between adjacent sections of said.thrustreceiving member andv onjopposite sides of the fulcrum of ksaidannular member.

5. In a thrust bearing, avbearing frame, a rotary-bearing member, athrust-receiving member formed of' relativelymovable sectionscooperating withsaid rotary member, each of said sections having beveledportions,

yan annular yieldable member having a' fulcrum supported on said frame,balls for spacing said thrust-receiving memberLfrom said yieldablemember, said balls seating on the beveled portions of said sections insupporting relation between adjacent sections'o'fsaid thrust-receivingmember and Von f opposite sides of the fulcrum of said yield-ablemember, and lubricant-distributingl meansy for said balls disposeddirectlyadj acent. thereto.

In testimony whereofl have hereuntosubscribed my name at Berne,Switzerland, this ith day oi" August,vA. D.

' ERIC iso

